Phuoc Son stuff to do

No big ticket items here

What we say:

Well, there are sort of some activities in Phuoc Son, if you happen to be here long enough to partake.

The River Valley
Phuoc Son is set on the edge of a deep river valley which is worth exploring if you have the time. You'll see signs near the market pointing to San Bay, to the north. Follow the road straight for about a kilometre until it turns to cobble stone. Cobble stones the size of boulders. This road descends quite steeply into the valley -- a bit tricky to navigate the rocks in flip-flops, though the local cow herds do it all the time, and the cows have no troubles at all. It's about another kilometre until you reach the valley itself, with a muddy river at the bottom and a bridge crossing to the other side. Don't even try it on a motorbike unless you have a good dirt bike and 'awesome' skills. Okay, it's not much, but we were surprised to find anything to see at all!

Suoi Dak Ga
This is best visited on the way to and from Phuoc Son, but you can do it on a day trip if you're staying on for any reason. Fifteen km south along Route 14, there's a sign marking a turn-off to the right for Suoi Dak Ga (Dak Ga Spring). The side road goes up a hill and through a tribal village inhabited by the Kon Kotu. The name means 'wild village' because in the old days it was considered so remote it was 'untouched by civilisation.' We found some kids covering themselves with mud and then running to the stream to wash it off, and that was pretty wild. We don't know if it was some sort of ritual or if they were just being kids.

The small waterfall is at the end of the road. A very picturesque bridge, made of wood and steel cables, crosses the stream. You'll have to squeeze through some of the wires to get down to the stream, and you can bounce across the bridge if you like. The locals do it all the time, but the sign out front warns not to try it with more than 20 people at a time. Like that's going to happen. You may find people bathing, and doing laundry, in the stream. It's a refreshing dip, but if you're feeling a little sudsy when you're done, there's a fresh-water spout under the bridge on the far side.